The Agri-Food Code

The Agri-Food Code is an industry-led initiative that aims to accelerate the shift towards sustainable food systems. Its full name is ‘the EU Code of Conduct on Responsible Food Business and Marketing Practices’. 

The code was announced in the Farm to Fork Strategy from May 2020 and entered into force in July 2021. The code includes 7 aspirational objectives, such as promoting healthy diets and improving the sustainability of food processing. It also contains indicative actions for each of these objectives.

Companies and associations can commit to the code by setting out their commitments in a ‘pledge’. Every year, they are asked to share an update on the progress made (except SMEs, who are allowed to do so every 2-3 years).

Any organisation can commit to the code by submitting a pledge on our online platform (please see below under ‘Joining the Code’). This platform is meant to help signatories put the code into practice. They can collaborate in workspaces, for example, or receive recognition for their efforts through awards. Only signatories of the code are eligible to apply for the awards.

Read the full text of the code.

If you have any questions about the code, please contact GROW-FOODec [dot] europa [dot] eu (GROW-FOOD[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu).

Join the code

To sign up to the Agri-Food Code, please use the EU Agri-food Platform

1. Create an account via 'Join ecosystem'
2. After you have logged in, click 'Propose content'
3. When asked 'What kind of content would you like to propose?', select 'Pledges'
4. Fill in the mandatory fields and click 'Submit'

Signatories and reports

You can find all pledges and reports of the signatories of the code on the EU Agri-food Platform. 

Awards

The first edition of an awards scheme to recognise small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that sign up to the Agri-Food Code will be announced at the end of 2025 or beginning of 2026.

More information can be found in this section of the EU Agri-food Platform.